Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: in the hospital...Ughhhhhh (Read 8637 times)

hi all...i am in the hospital...brought by ambulance Thursday evening. they are still doing tests and cultures... not sure if i have something viral, bacterial, or parasitic... i was severely sick thursday eve... had severe gi bleeding...was given couple things of blood....they believe bleeding has stopped...but are still trying to id cause and cause of sky high white blood cells and continued diarrhea... i was hoping to go home today... but seems like it may be a bit longer.

thanks everyone. still here... no talk of discharge day... hoping today...but they just came around and requested food order for day...and i was on for all 3 meals..l they did finally get me my atripla last night after going without for two days. hopefully will know more about what is going on later today... thanks again for well wishes.

sorry to hear you're still a "prisoner". It can often take quite a lot of days to track down a problem when a high count of white blood cells is the main indicator. Hopefully you'll get some news soon.

and don't stress about the Atrip. LOL Just think of it as being on the "FOTO" schedule.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Phil, all this illness you're just falling apart brother! Anyway I hope you get out of the joint soon. My first and only hospital stay at diagnosis for four days was absolutely awful and I wouldn't wish a hospital on anyone. Let us know as soon as you find out what's causing all this. Have they checked for west nile? It's been breaking out like crazy this summer.

I am now home - and scared to touch anything in my house, scared of being around anyone (went to store on way home and backed away from anyone who was sniffling or coughing)...

Hospital doc thinks it was a norovirus.... They have communicated with my ID doc to move up the date for my upper/lower GI (as it was to be done in about 6 months) to see if there is anything there that might have caused the "event."

The CT, cultures, labs didn't come back with anything other than very high white blood cell count (which has now went down to close to normal levels) and very low blood pressure....

Doc also gave me bed rest until Tuesday - Have a follow up scheduled w/ my doc on Wednesday...

I can honestly say that other than when I had Hep A and was hospitalized for 8 day back in 2001 - this was the worst I have ever been sick.....

I am still sore.... throat still hurts, ribs still hurt and psychologically I think I may have opened up a large can of "germ-a-phobia" - which I am going to have to quickly get over as it is not realistic or rationale to think that I can possibly avoid any and all germs... but I am just so afraid of going through what I went through Thursday evening into Friday morning.

Thanks!I was at Aventura General Hospital - near the Aventura Mall (in Aventura Florida) - a couple of miles from my house.While the room had a nice view - the overall level of care and service there sucks ---- I had a couple of run ins with the nurses...I much prefer UM (my home medical center) - but, as sick as I was - they had to get me to the nearest facility, so it was either Aventura or Jackson North (and there was no way in hell - even if I was on death's bleeding dying bed that I was going to Jackson North - I would probably still be sitting in the ER if I went there)

UM gives much better care - for the most part the nurses at Aventura leave a lot to be desired.....

Seroconverted: Early 80sTested & confirmed what I already knew: early 90s

Current regimen: Atripla. Last regimen: Epzicom, Sustiva (since its inception with NO adverse side effects: no vivid dreams and NONE of the problems people who can't tolerate this drug may experience: color me lucky )Past regimensFun stuff (in the past): HAV/HBV, crypto, shingles, AIDS, PCP

Oh man...sorry I'm late to this party but I'm glad you're home and healing now! And I'm especially sorry to hear about the nursing issues...kills me because Aventura is one of my corporate hospitals. My facility is one of the tops in Nursing and poor care elsewhere still drags us down. If it was that bad you can always call and talk to the Patient Rep or even the Chief Nursing Officer...they will at least respond to you.

Get better quickly so we can have some drinks when I come to South Florida in October!!

Oh man...sorry I'm late to this party but I'm glad you're home and healing now! And I'm especially sorry to hear about the nursing issues...kills me because Aventura is one of my corporate hospitals. My facility is one of the tops in Nursing and poor care elsewhere still drags us down. If it was that bad you can always call and talk to the Patient Rep or even the Chief Nursing Officer...they will at least respond to you.

Get better quickly so we can have some drinks when I come to South Florida in October!!

Hugs,Creighton

Thanks Creighton - I was really surprised by the care I received at Aventura.... except when I saw some of the reviews online it seems like it is a pattern with them.Nurses overlooked doctors orders and did not give me my Atripla for two days (doctor reemed them out over it)They were then told to give me a culture cup/device and despite me requesting it three times when I had to have a BM - they kept telling me they would give it to me later... when they did finally bring it (8 hours later) - I was made to use the device and then transfer the specimen myself into a cup... which I was informed by someone later was not supposed to be the process... they then left the specimen in my room for another 4 hours ---- even though I asked them 3 times to remove it and get it to the lab.... this was one of the things that ultimately delayed my discharge.

Then the doc had moved me from a liquid diet to regular - to see if I could tolerate solid food ---the nurses neglected to get the info into the system - so I did not receive a solid diet until 2 meals had passed --- and even then the nurse had to go find something for me to eat --- so I got a partial breakfast - of what they could "scarf" up....

There were two great nurses.... and 4 subpar (the types of nurses that you wonder why they are in the field if they dislike it that much)..... The great nurses were really great.... With one really going the extra mile on a couple of occasions (and trying to make up for the shortfalls of her colleagues)....

I try to be an easy patient... but things like not getting my HIV meds timely and leaving a doctor ordered specimen in my room for hours to me are unacceptable. I will be following up with the appropriate people at the hospital about the negatives (so they can remedy them in the interest of quality improvement) and I will also share about the positive experience I had with the two nurses (and make sure that they are acknowledged for going above the call of duty)....

Just glad to be home.... and for as bad as some of the experience may have been, it would have been far worse at Jackson North.... They are known as being similar to a roach hotel---- people go in, but they don't come out.

Glad to hear you're released Phil! Hope you get back to normal with a quickness.

Thanks Trey - I plan to.I'm not cleared to return to work until Tuesday - so, plan to use tomorrow to rest and get caught up on some school work -Then hit the ground running on Tuesday with a bunch of projects at work that are on deadlines.

I actually tend to stay healthier when I am busy - I think I took too much of a little breather and my body thought it had the opportunity to play some tricks on me.

But, I will be following up with my ID doc and taking things a step at a time - I don't want a repeat anytime soon (if ever).

I try to be an easy patient... but things like not getting my HIV meds timely and leaving a doctor ordered specimen in my room for hours to me are unacceptable.

I'm a good patient too, but I have no room for bullshit. I would have asked to see the CEO of the hospital if this shit kept going on. I would have gone up the chain until his or her ass was on the line.

Logged

Pray God you can copeI know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.

Glad you are feeling better, hope the cause is soon determined, had a bad experience in Hospital several times but being an old guy who speaks his mind I complained almost immediately to the head nurse... had people running around trying to get me to say everything was alright when it wasnt.... finally got the Director of Nursing from the headqtrs of the company contact me and try to smooth things out... she finally agreed to send the responsible people back to training classes....and not allow them to be with patients until completing the retraining..... she followed up several times over the next month hoping I wouldnt file a suit against them..... I didnt file charges...but wont go back to that Hospital

Glad to hear you're home. The norovirus got me athinkin about something. Ok, I know it is everywhere. But, cruise ships are notorious for outbreaks. Ships come and go from your area. Is the norovirus more common in port cities, where you would come in contact with so many people from the ships or people who've been around people from the ships? Just something that made me think. I am sure my friend Google could tell me.

Anyway, glad you're feeling better and are resting for Tuesday. Sorry about your experience in the hospital.

Sure glad you are home and I am sure sorry about the "hell" you went through. There is absolutely no excuse for not being given your Atripla...period. Someone should lose their job over something like that.

I will be in your neck of the woods for a Bahamas cruise next month. Flying into Miami this time on Sunday, Oct 7. Cruise departs Monday and returns Friday. I go right back home late Friday morning. Will be staying at an airport hotel (Holiday Inn Express) on Sunday. If I remember correctly, you are actually close to Ft. Lauderdale, not Miami.

Sure glad you are home and I am sure sorry about the "hell" you went through. There is absolutely no excuse for not being given your Atripla...period. Someone should lose their job over something like that.

I will be in your neck of the woods for a Bahamas cruise next month. Flying into Miami this time on Sunday, Oct 7. Cruise departs Monday and returns Friday. I go right back home late Friday morning. Will be staying at an airport hotel (Holiday Inn Express) on Sunday. If I remember correctly, you are actually close to Ft. Lauderdale, not Miami.

Just get better!

Gary

Hi Gary:It would be great to see you. I actually live in North Miami - which is halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I work in downtown Miami - close to the airport. Either way, the Miami airport is only a few minutes away from me.Send me a PM and let me know what time you get in and if you would like to hang out for a bit or if you need picked up at airport.

The hotel you are staying at is about 12 miles from my place - and about 8 miles from where I work... so, not a far drive at all (about 20 minutes).

The port of Miami is about 2 blocks from my job...

In regards to the recent hospital stay - yeah, it was an experience - to say the least....I have a follow up w/ my ID doc on Wednesday afternoon... We will be setting the appt for an upper/lower GI - which was recommended by hospital docs to see if there is some other cause for my recent incident...

I was actually coming due for the procedure - so, it will kill two birds w/ one stone.

I probably won't know anything for a few more weeks. Meanwhile, just trying to rehydrate myself - still feeling a bit drained. Back to work tomorrow.

Geez, Phil, I go away for a few days and look what happens to you. Sorry to hear about your illness, and trip to the hospital. I'm sure you'll be back on your feet soon.

Cheers,

Henry

Logged

"Life in Lubbock, Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love." - Butch Hancock, Musician, The Flatlanders

Thanks for the continued well wishes.Had follow up today with ID doc - she thinks it may be esophagus tear or ulcer(s)....Tomorrow I will see neurology doc for EMG (related to neuropathy)Monday see gastro doc for eval / consultLater next week get endoscopy - will know exact day on Monday

Ouch Phil, that sounds painful. I hope they find the cause and get it fixed, pronto.

In the meantime, please take care of yourself and indulge in a bit of pampering. Make sure you're getting enough rest. Your health is more important than anything so do what you need to do to keep your strength up. Keep marching on, yes, but remember that slow and steady wins the race - or something like that. You know what I mean.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts